How to reconcile pasture grazing and wolf recolonisation? Perceptions of management options by livestock farmers in Germany

Grazing livestock are potential prey of large carnivores. Effective livestock protection measures are considered essential for the sustainable coexistence of large carnivores and pastoral farming. Therefore, understanding the drivers of livestock farmers' intention to implement protection measures is indispensable, for example, in view of wolves recolonising Europe. In 2022, we conducted an online survey among pastoral farmers in Bavaria, Germany. Following the Theory of Planned Behaviour, we expected attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and, additionally, the emotional component of worry to relate positively to the intention to implement livestock protection measures. We set up structural equation models for different preventive measures, differentiating between owners of small and large livestock. Additionally, we addressed the influence of subsidies. Responses from 353 pastoral farmers showed that the intention to implement preventive measures and its drivers differed between measures and were often stronger in owners of small livestock. Participants generally reported great difficulties in implementing livestock protection measures. Subjective norm showed the strongest relationship with intentions, suggesting that the close social environment can facilitate or hamper the implementation of livestock protection measures. The intention to instal wolf‐deterring fences differed between zones with different availability of funding and compensation payments, suggesting that financial support can be an effective motivation to implement livestock protection. Policy implications . Our analyses highlight the importance of subjective norms for human intentions in the context of livestock protection. Therefore, examples of successful livestock protection that foster learning among peers could facilitate the dissemination of protection measures. Practical help could be key to enhancing farmers' perceived behavioural control over livestock protection measures. Subsidies have the potential to promote livestock protection measures. Additionally, it seems conducive to make livestock protection mandatory for receiving compensation in the event of carnivore attacks. If a measure poses overwhelming non‐financial challenges in terms of workload or incompatibility with farmers' lives, subsidies might not suffice to increase implementation.